Navratan Pulao recipe

07 Mar Navratan Pulao recipe

Last Updated on March 7, 2022 by blessmyfoodbypayal

Navratan pulao recipe with step wise pictorial and video method.

WHAT IS NAVRATAN PULAO?

NAV is a Hindi word which means “NINE“,

RATAN is again a Hindi word which means “JEWELS” and

PULAO stands for a one pot rice dish wherein rice are cooked or assembled together with other ingredients, be it vegetables or nuts and some seasoning.

So NAVRATAN PULAO is a pilaf comprising of nine certain ingredients, which are termed as jewels aka ratan of this recipe.

In addition to those 9 ingredients, this recipe is enriched with flavourful wholesome spices also.

AN ANCIENT RECIPE

Having its roots in the ancient king’s kitchen, navratan pulav is one such delicacy used to be cherished by the the Mughal Emperors.

Made with the medley of veggies, nuts, dry fruits and wholesome spices like cardamoms, cinnamon, black pepper, star anise and cloves, you can well imagine how royal this cuisine would be.

NAVRATAN PULAO INGREDIENTS

RICE : This is important to mention that try to use basmati rice for making navratan pulao recipe.

However if basmati rice are not available to you, then Sona Masuri rice can be the second great option.

OIL : We have fried the Vegetables in refined oil but you can use desi ghee for the said purpose.

DESI GHEE: Only the nuts part is fried in desi ghee because ghee fried nuts give more taste that the one fried in oil.

The rice are also tempered in oil for more delicious experience.

VEGETABLES : This recipe uses potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, french beans and green peas and these are the vegetables which are actually used in traditional navratan pulao recipe.

But in case you are short of some vegetable or any such vegetable in not in the season, then still can avoid or replace that vegetable in the making of this pulao.

PANEER is used which provides the protein part to the rice.

NUTS : We have added almonds, cashew nuts & raisins only. Feel free to add walnuts and pistachios too. Choice is yours.

SPICES : Caraway seeds, also called black Jeera or Shahi jeera in Hindi can be replaced with regular cumin seeds, in case former one is not available to you.

Furthermore bay leaf, black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and green cardamoms are the other spices which are very basic and easily available in every indian kitchen.

This is important to note that this recipe doesn’t call for red chili powder, so never think of adding it because navaratan pulao is always on a sweeter side than the savoury one.

SAFFRON SOAKED MILK : This milk is added for richness into the recipe.

LEMON JUICE : It adds a hint of tanginess to the delicious pulao.

ONION BARISTA : Onion Barista is the onion which is fried in oil till turns deep brown.

You can skip this ingredient if not feasible to you and just add fresh coriander leaves.

WHAT ARE THOSE NINE INGREDIENTS?

Technically speaking, Navratan Pulao has following 9 ingredients named as :

Potatoes
Cauliflower
Carrots
French beans
Green peas
Paneer/Indian cottage cheese
Almonds
Cashew nuts &
Raisins

Saying this doesn’t mean that if you don’t have exactly same to same ingredients, then you can’t make navratan pulao.

You may have different (some of the) veggies or some other nuts like walnuts or pistachios, and that’s fine with the given recipe. You really need not to have exactly 9 ingredients and that too same to same.

CAN NAVRATAN PULAO BE MADE VEGAN?

The answer to this head is absolutely yes.

This recipe uses only 3 ingredients which are dairy and i.e. desi ghee/clarified butter, Indian cottage cheese/paneer and milk.

Replace ghee with oil, paneer with tofu and dairy milk with some plant based milk, be it oats milk, almond milk, coconut milk or any other of your choice.

STEP WISE PICTORIAL RECIPE OF NAVRATAN PULAO

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
2. Add potatoes dices and saute them.
3. Saute potatoes until they turn slightly brown.
4. Take them out of oil in some bowl
5. Now add cauliflower florets in the oil.
6. Fry them too until turn brown.
7. Take them out in the same bowl carrying fried potatoes.
8. Then fry paneer cubes until brown.
9. Take out in the same bowl.
10. Add carrots, french beans, green peas and saute them.
11. Cover the pan with a lid and let them simmer for 10 minutes or until the veggies are slightly soft
12. Take them too out of oil and shift to bowl.
13. Remove all the oil from the pan and add desi ghee to it.
14. Add almonds and cashews and roast them
15. When almonds and cashews begin to turn brown, add raisins and roast till puff up.
16. Take these dry fruits out in the same bowl.
17. Now add caraway seeds, bay leaf, black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and green cardamoms. Saute till seeds crackle.
18. Add rice into the pan.
19. Then add fried vegetables, nuts, lemon juice and salt.
20. Add saffron soaked milk and give a good mix.
21. Top with onion barista and mix.
22. Put a lid on the pan and let rice simmer for 5-7 minutes on low heat.

Navratan pulao is ready. Enjoy.

NOTES

1. You can cook entire recipe in only oil or only desi ghee.
2. Prefer to use cold rice, refrigerated are more better because if you will add freshly made hot rice into the recipe, they tend to turn mushy thereby spoiling the texture and finally the taste of pulao.
3. Soak few strands of saffron into luke warm milk for 8-10 minutes to make saffron soaked milk. 
4. Traditionally Navratan pulao is made by deep frying the vegetables and nuts. But if you prefer the less oil version, then instead of deep frying, you can simply sautee them in few tablespoon of oil. Or alternatively, you can air fry the vegetables in just few drops of oil.

ALSO SEE

• Cashew nut pulao recipe
• Carrot rice recipe
• Green peas Pulao recipe (Matar Pulao)
• Spinach pulao
• Coconut milk pulao recipe

RECIPE CARD – NAVRATAN PULAO RECIPE

Navratan pulao recipe

blessmyfoodbypayal

Navratan Pulao stands for a one pot rice dish wherein rice are cooked or assembled together with other ingredients wherein 9 are the prime one.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course rice

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

1 cup = 200 ml

• 7-8 tbsp oil
• 2 medium potatoes (cut into dices)
• 2 Carrots (cut into pieces)
• 1/2 cup french beans (cut into pieces)
• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 200 gram paneer/Indian cottage cheese (cut into small cubes)
• 15-16 almonds
• 15-16 cashews (halved)
• 18-20 raisins
• 1 tbsp desi ghee
• 1 tsp caraway seeds (or cumin seeds)
• 1 bay leaf
• 10-12 black pepper corns
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 3 green cardamoms
• 4 cups cooked rice
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup saffron soaked milk
• 1/4 cup onion barista/fried onion

Instructions

 

• Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan.
• Add potatoes dices and saute them.
• Saute potatoes until they turn slightly brown.
• Take them out of oil in some bowl.
• Now add cauliflower florets in the oil.
• Fry them too until turn brown.
• Take them out in the same bowl carrying fried potatoes.
• Then fry paneer cubes until brown.
• Take out in the same bowl.
• Add carrots, french beans, green peas and saute them.
• Cover the pan with a lid and let them simmer for 10 minutes or until the veggies are slightly soft.
• Take them too out of oil and shift to bowl.
• Remove all the oil from the pan and add desi ghee to it.
• Add almonds and cashews and roast them.
• When almonds and cashews begin to turn brown, add raisins and roast till puff up.
• Take these dry fruits out in the same bowl.
• Now add caraway seeds, bay leaf, black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and green cardamoms. Saute till seeds crackle.
• Add rice into the pan.
• Then add fried vegetables, nuts, lemon juice and salt.
• Add saffron soaked milk and give a good mix.
• Top with onion barista and mix.
• Put a lid on the pan and let rice simmer for 5-7 minutes on low heat.
• Navratan pulao is ready. Enjoy.

Notes

1. You can cook entire recipe in only oil or only desi ghee.
2. Prefer to use cold rice, refrigerated are more better because if you will add freshly made hot rice into the recipe, they tend to turn mushy thereby spoiling the texture and finally the taste of pulao.
3. Soak few strands of saffron into luke warm milk for 8-10 minutes to make saffron soaked milk.
4. Traditionally Navratan pulao is made by deep frying the vegetables and nuts. But if you prefer the less oil version, then instead of deep frying, you can simply sautee them in few tablespoon of oil. Or alternatively, you can air fry the vegetables in just few drops of oil.

Keyword Navratan pulao